The Ultimate Art Deco Car Quiz

Cars from the Art Deco era were more than just simple transportation. They were expressions of high style accessible only to the most affluent people. Many of those designs were eye-catching at the time, and that hasn't changed decades later. Do you think you're good enough to be an Art Deco car expert? Let's find out!

Start Quiz »

You scored

0 out of 20

Question 1 of 20

Art Deco cars were most prominent during which decade?

1920s

1930s

While the Art Deco movement originated in Paris after World War I, most of the cars that took their styling cues from it came about in the 1930s. Those opulent, extravagant cars were mostly on the way out by the 1940s.

1940s

Question 2 of 20

Which of these car companies would NOT be considered a maker of an Art Deco car?

Honda

That should have been an easy one! Most Art Deco car makers originated in Europe; specifically, France, the center of the artistic movement.

Delahaye

Bugatti

Question 3 of 20

Fill in the blank: The Art Deco aesthetic was known for its ______.

simplicity, curves and bright colors

Art Deco designs had distinct geometric shapes, clean lines, bright colors and were very streamlined. These designs were visually striking but simplistic.

expressions of organic objects like flowers

boxy lines and jagged edges

Question 4 of 20

The Art Deco scene grew out of which previous artistic movement?

Cubism

Structuralism

Art Nouveau

The movement originated in Paris and was an outgrowth of the previous Art Nouveau style, which was popular around the turn of the 20th century and was characterized by excessive decorations, organic motifs of flowers and plants, and highly stylized curved forms.

Question 5 of 20

Which of these buildings are characterized by the Art Deco style?

the State Capitol of Texas

the Empire State Building, Radio City Music Hall and the Chrysler Building in New York City

Art Deco styling became immensely popular during the period of urban growth in the 1930s and includes several famous New York City landmarks, including the Empire State Building, Radio City Music Hall and the Chrysler Building.

the Taj Mahal

Question 6 of 20

Which of these neighborhoods are characterized by an abundance of Art Deco structures?

Miami's historic district

Miami sports countless examples of Art Deco buildings, including an entire area near Miami Beach.

downtown London

the French Quarter in New Orleans

Question 7 of 20

Fill in the blank: Art Deco vehicles were typically ______, ______ and ______.

small, fuel-efficient and fast

boxy, overly simple and riding on small tires

large, opulent and streamlined

Because they were aimed at the very wealthy, the French Art Deco cars tended to be large, grand affairs with stunning designs and big engines.

Question 8 of 20

Which of these were common styling cues of Art Deco cars?

coupes with streamlined shapes and round, large fenders

Vehicles today classified as Art Deco cars were often two-door coupes and roadsters with long hoods and small, rounded-off trunks. They featured long, swooping fenders over the wheels, round headlights and lots of chrome. Another important design characteristic was streamlining -- cars with smooth, sleek curves that appeared to be speeding, even when standing still.

short, four-door sedans with removable roofs

wheels placed outside the body like a racing car

Question 9 of 20

What is coachbuilding?

a process where an old horse-drawn coach would be converted into a car

a procedure where a company would customize a body to the owner's specifications and add them to a car's naked chassis

Coachbuilding a process where one company, like Bugatti or Cadillac, would make a naked chassis and engine and another company would custom-design and build the body to the owner's exact specifications.

a method where the engine designer would also design the car's body

Question 10 of 20

What kind of engine was in the Hispano-Suiza J12 Cabriolet?

a 9-liter, 12-cylinder, aircraft-based engine

The cars of the Art Deco era were subtle in neither design nor engine size. The Hispano-Suiza packed an aircraft-based, 9-liter, 12-cylinder motor.

a 2.5-liter, turbocharged, four-cylinder engine

a 16-cylinder, supercharged engine

Question 11 of 20

How much money did a Delage D8-120 Cabriolet cost in the late 1930s?

$15,000

$75,000

$200,000

The Delage D8-120 Cabriolet cost $200,000. And that was at a time when the average American home cost about $3,800. Sounds like a good deal, right?

Question 12 of 20

Which of these more affordable American cars featured Art Deco styling?

the Ford Model A

the 1935 Chevrolet line

the Chrysler Airflow

The Chrysler Airflow was designed with Art Deco style in mind; it featured a flowing shape with rounded fenders and a curved "waterfall" grille.

Styling moved away from the glamorous and gregarious and towards more conservative designs as the decades went on.

similar to the old Art Nouveau style

based on unorthodox designs

Question 14 of 20

Why are Art Deco cars in such limited supply today?

They aren't -- good examples can be seen everywhere.

They were built in limited numbers in the 1930s and a lot of them didn't survive World War II.

Many of the Bugattis, Delahayes and similar cars were made in very limited numbers in their heyday. Also, many of the vehicles (and their manufacturers) did not survive World War II.

They were extremely unpopular.

Question 15 of 20

How much did an Art Deco-styled 1937 Bugatti 57SC fetch at auction in 2008?

$1.5 million

$17 million

$7.9 million

The SC, described as the world's first supercar, went for a staggering $7.9 million when auctioned off at the Pebble Beach Concours d'Elegance in 2008. Only 11 were ever made.

Question 16 of 20

Where is Peter Mullin's museum (Mullin Automotive Museum) located?

Oxnard, Calif.

The Mullin Automotive Museum, whose mission is to celebrate the French cars of the 1930s, is located in Oxnard, Calif.

Toronto, Canada

San Marcos, Texas

Question 17 of 20

The Mullin Automotive Museum features cars and motorcycles that once belonged to Otis Chandler. Who was he?

the first man to win at the 24 Hours of LeMans

the publisher of the Los Angeles Times newspaper

The collection features some of the cars and motorcycles owned by former Los Angeles Times publisher and auto enthusiast Otis Chandler.

an early investor in Bugatti

Question 18 of 20

A rare 1934 Voisin C27 Grand Sport Cabriolet on display at the Mullin Automotive Museum once belonged to whom?

King Edward of England

the shah of Persia

Art Deco cars were known for their expensiveness and exclusivity. This model of Voisin was once owned by the Shah of Persia.

President Harry S. Truman

Question 19 of 20

Which of these Art Deco car companies is still manufacturing passenger cars today?

Bugatti

One of the only car companies from that era to survive today is Bugatti, which was purchased by Volkswagen in the late 1990s. Bugatti continues to make cars worthy of the Art Deco era -- at least in performance, if not looks.

Panhard

Delahaye

Question 20 of 20

Art Deco drew design inspiration from which of these cultures?

medieval England

ancient Egypt

Art Deco also incorporated motifs from ancient cultures like Egypt and the Aztec empire.